1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roof tile clip, and in particular, relates to a roof tile tie down clip for securing a tile to a roof where the clip is easily mounted to the surface of the roof and is resistant to deformation from excessive winds.
2. Description of the Related Art
Roof tiles are commonly used to cover the roof of a structure. The tiles provide protection to the roof from storms and other harsh weather conditions and also provide an attractive appearance to the roof. For a typical installation of tiles on a roof, a plurality of tiles are distributed over the roof so that the roof is entirely covered by the tiles. The tiles are positioned in overlapping fashion on the roof so that a first portion of one tile fits over a second portion of an adjacent tile, with a decorative portion of the tile remaining open to view. The weight of a tile thereby partially secures an adjacent tile to the surface of the roof. In this fashion, a multitude of tiles may be arranged over the entire roof.
During installation of roof tiles, tile clips are often used to secure the tiles in place on top of the roof so that the tiles do not fall off. The clips are designed to secure the exposed end of the tile from being lifted off of the roof during high winds. Tile roofs are increasingly used in such places as the Gulf Coast, Florida and other locations throughout the United States where there are occasionally weather conditions that result in high winds. Consequently, in these locations, the tile roofs are often exposed to winds that exceed 100 miles per hour. Without the tile clips, the wind can rip the exposed end of the tile in a row of tiles free from the roof. As the tiles overlap, this can result in a chain reaction wherein all of the tiles in the row are torn from the roof. These tiles can become dangerous projectiles in windstorms and can also leave the roof exposed to water damage resulting from the weather.
A typical roof tile clip includes a flat base portion that is secured to the surface of the roof with nails or screws. A body portion of the clip extends upward at an angle from the base portion and forms into hook or clip that engages the upper surface of a tile, thereby securing the tile in place. The clip portion typically conforms to the shape of the tile so that the clip portion may be placed in alignment over the tile to secure the tile in place. An exemplary tile clip is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,952.
Unfortunately, prior tile clips suffer from some disadvantages. One disadvantage relates to the manner in which a roof tile clip is installed over a roof tile. In order to install the roof tile clip, the clip must first be positioned in the correct orientation with respect to a roof tile. Specifically, the tile clip is balanced on its base so that it stands in an upright position with the hook portion of the clip engaging the upper surface of the tile. With the clip balanced in an upright position, the installer's hands are free to use a hammer to install a nail through the base portion and into the roof surface and thereby secure the clip and tile to the roof. However, the tile clip often topples over before an installer can insert the nail through the clip. The installer must then re-orient the tile clip in the correct upright position and attempt to hammer the nail again which results in inefficiencies in mounting the tiles.
Further, it is desirable for the clip portion of the tile clip to flushly mate with the upper surface of the roof tile so that the tile clip provides a secure hold on the tile. However, with previous tile clips there is a high likelihood that the tile clip will slide on the roof while the installer is driving the nail to secure the hook in the desired position. Hence, the tile clip may end up being positioned such that the clip portion of the clip is not correctly aligned over the tile so that the clip does not have a secure hold on the tile. It will be appreciated that exact placement of the tile clip with respect to the tile may be the difference between keeping the roof tiles on the roof and having the tiles blown off the roof during high winds.
Another disadvantage associated with prior roof tile clips relates to the ability of such clips to retain their shape during high winds. Prior tile clips have a tendency to bend or warp when exposed to high-velocity winds. Particularly, the tile clips bend or snap apart at the bend where the base portion of the tile clip is connected to the body portion of the tile clip, causing the clip to lose its grip on the roof tile. This is highly undesirable, as the tile may eventually fall off the roof and become damaged or cause damage to objects below the roof. This problem is exacerbated during intense winds, where there is a higher risk that a tile may be blown off a roof and cause damage to other structures or cause injury to humans. Moreover, as roof tiles are generally expensive to replace, there is also a monetary loss associated with the loss of a roof tile. The monetary loss to a homeowner may be considerable if numerous tiles become lost due to tile clips snapping or deforming during high winds.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages associated with prior roof tile clips, there is a need for a roof tile clip that may be easily and securely mounted in an upright position prior to installation so that an installer will not have to use his hand to hold the tile clip in place while inserting a nail through the clip. Moreover, there is also a need for a roof tile clip that is sufficiently strong to resist warping or bending when the clip is exposed to extreme wind conditions